On the ground, the SLA is the product
Once the trip starts, your client experiences the DMC, not you — but any failure comes back to your name. The service-level commitments you agree up front are what actually protect your reputation when something goes sideways at 2,000 kilometres' distance.
Pickup and transfer reliability
- A confirmed meet-and-greet with a named arrival contact.
- A buffer policy for flight delays — the driver waits, rather than the client landing to no one.
- A clear answer on who pays the re-dispatch when a pickup is missed.
24×7 reachability and escalation
For active-trip issues — a medical problem, a missed connection, an itinerary change — you need a real person, not a ticket queue. Ask for the escalation path, the average response time, and crucially whether the line is answered in-destination, where the problem actually is.
Documentation lead times
Visa-support letters, vouchers and permits all carry real lead times, and a good DMC states them without being pushed. The agent's job is to flag deadlines at enquiry, not at confirmation — the week before travel is too late to discover a permit takes ten working days.
Capacity and substitution
- The minimum pax for SIC products, so you're not surprised by a cancelled seat-in-coach on a thin date.
- The substitution policy when a contracted hotel or vehicle isn't available — like-for-like, or a quiet downgrade.
How to vet before you commit
Ask for the SLA in writing, walk through a sample emergency scenario, and take references. A DMC that can clearly articulate its own service levels is managing them; one that can't is the risk you're trying to avoid.